FED (or Field Emission Display) hasn't quite caught on as quickly as some other display technologies, but Sony's still out there doing its best to move things forward, and it certainly looks to have turned more than a few heads with its latest demo. Apparently not content with simply showing off a new 19-inch display from its spin-off, Field Emission Technologies, Sony went so far as to demo it with a customized version of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue that's playable at 240 fps. To do that, Sony used four PS3s to increase the frame rate, something it had previously done to run the game at quadruple the resolution of 1080p on a Sony SXHD projector. While that setup is out of the reach of most folks, Field Emission Technologies says that FED displays are now finally heading to market, and that some high-end professional FED video monitors up to 32-inches in size will be available sometime next year.
It's just been a few short months since Neuros started shipping its OSD 2.0 set-top box, but it looks like the company is now already moving on to other devices that are equally boxy and open source-y. It's latest is the Neuros LINK, which promises to let you watch videos from Hulu, YouTube and other sites on your TV without a subscription courtesy of Neuros' own Neuros.TV service. Unlike the OSD, however, it doesn't look like the LINK has any internal storage of its own (at least beyond the bare necessity), but it does have a generous six USB ports to let you hook up some drives filled with music, photos or videos. Otherwise, you can expect both HDMI and optical S/PDIF outputs, as well as gigabit ethernet, 802.11b/g WiFi, and an included wireless "keymote" complete with a trackball. According to Neuros, while the device is available now for $300, it's still in a "gamma release," which means is primarily aimed at early adopters wiling to accept a few hiccups along the way.
This unassuming little device first popped up way back at CES in January, where it was known as the Echostar TR-50, but it looks like it's now finally going to see the light of day courtesy of DISH Network, which has dubbed it the DTVPal. From the looks of it, however, there's not a whole lot of changes beyond the name, with it still promising to handle the digital-to-analog conversion with ease, and record 30 hours of HD video or 150 hours of standard-def -- a task made considerably easier with the included seven-day programming guide which, best of all, doesn't require a subscription or contract. If that sounds like the box you've been waiting for, you'll be able to get your pre-order in on November 19th for $250 (after a $50 instant rebate), with the device supposedly set to start shipping in mid-December.
Those in the market for a business / education-minded projector certainly aren't hurting for options these days, but if you somehow still haven't found one to your liking, you may want to consider one of these new models from Toshiba and Viewsonic. At about four pounds apiece, they're reasonably portable, and pack the same WXGA resolution along with some other similar specs across the board, including a 600:1 contrast ratio and 2,220 ANSI lumens on the Toshiba TLP-WX1000U, and a 500:1 contrast ratio and 2,000 lumens on the Viewsonic PJ359w. The Viewsonic also adds HDMI 1.3 connectivity to the mix, not to mention a short-throw lens, though you'll have to decide for yourself if that's worth the higher $1,299 list price or not, compared to just $959 for the Toshiba.
Okoro apparently doesn't have much time for design changes, or even model name changes, but the company has at least seen fit to give its low-profile OMS-SX100 a considerable spec-bump and, apparently, a reduction in power consumption. That latter bit seems to come largely as a result of the low-wattage AMD Athlon X2 4850e processor at the heart of the system, which gets backed up by 2GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive (upgradeable to 1TB), 8-channel LPCM audio via HDMI, NVIDIA 8200 graphics, and an optional Blu-ray drive, to name a few features. The company is also promising CableCARD and SAGETV HDPVR models in the future, but if that's beyond your needs, you can snag the current model right now for $1695.
With all this talk of interactive TV from the likes of Sony, Yahoo! and Intel these days, it's starting to seem like the early 90s all over again -- only this time it looks like things are actually panning out. Now Verizon seems to be upping its interactive game as well, with it boasting about a whole host of improvements that FiOS TV customers can look forward to this fall. The new features were apparently demoed during an "informal party" held by Verizon Communications CIO Shaygan Kheradpir, and include various applications that are tied to live programming, some Facebook and YouTube integration, and the ability to control the DVR from your cellphone, to name a few things. FiOS customers can apparently expect some improvements to the program guide as well, including the ability to browse by what's popular in their area, or by what was most popular in the same time slot last week. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like any pictures made their way out of the party, but Yahoo! and company have certainly raised the bar pretty high with their own widgets, and we can only hope that Verizon at least meets it.
It's not exactly the first to turn any old speakers into wireless ones, but any attempt to cut down on wire clutter is alright in our book, and JBL is now doing its part with its new On Air WEM-1 wireless expansion module. As you can see above, this one consists of a transmitter module that connects to the audio source of your choice, and a receiver / amplifier that connects to a pair of speakers (it's apparently "tailored for use with select JBL loudspeakers," though it seems you can connect anything you like). That combo will give you a range of 70 feet and, supposedly, no loss in sound quality, although you will have to make do with the 50 watts per channel the amplifier pumps out. There's also the small matter of the $360 price tag, but we're sure there's at least a few folks out there willing to accept those trade-offs for a bit of added convenience, and for the principle of the thing.
It looks like those not willing to give up on DV tape for their HD recording needs now have a pair of new options to consider from Sony, which has just introduced its HDR-FX1000 and HVR-Z5J camcorders in Japan. The HDR-FX1000 (pictured above) is the slightly more consumer-minded of the two, with it boasting a not-outrageous price of ¥400,000 (or roughly $3,700), and some impressive specs all around, including a 20x optical zoom, both 24p and 30p modes, and Sony's G-series lens, which promises to deliver some top-notch images. The HVR-Z5J, on the other hand, offers some more specialized features like XLR audio inputs, PAL and NTSC compatibility, and support for the DVCAM format in addition to usual DV/HDV option. Look for it to set you back ¥554,400 (or just over $5,000) when it lands in December, with the HDR-FX1000 set to slip out ahead of it on November 10th.
While we can't say if it represents a general sentiment at Samsung or not, the company's UK director of consumer electronics, Andy Griffiths, sure went out on a bit of a limb in a recent interview with Pocket-lint, with him saying that Blu-ray has, to paraphrase David Bowie, only "five years left," and that he "certainly wouldn't give it ten." He did say, however, that he thought 2008 would be Blu-ray's year, adding that "it's going to be huge", and that Samsung is "heavily back-ordered at the moment." As for Samsung's future after Blu-ray's supposed demise, Griffiths seems to think that OLED will be the next big thing, and he's pegging 2010 as a possible date for it to become mainstream and replace LCD. He didn't offer a prediction as to when it will die out though.
We already caught sight of Sony's Bravia Z4500 LCD TV with 200Hz "MotionFlow" before and after it was officially unveiled at IFA, but it wasn't the only such set on the scene, with Samsung also touting a "world's first" 200Hz LCD TV of its own. Apparently, the distinction is that Samsung supposedly had the world's first prototype, while Sony will actually be the first to market with one. All this is also slightly further complicated by the fact that Sony and Samsung have each also already introduced 240Hz LCD TVs in Japan, although we're chalking those up to the usual 50 / 60Hz, NTSC / PAL differences. One thing that is clear, however, is that both sets sure are impressive, and you can get a taste of each by checking out Engadget en Español's round-up at the link below.
While we can't say we've ever felt the need for a projector with a built-in DVD player and a built-in "surround sound" system, Epson seems to think there's at least some folks that want a big box of compromises, and it's hoping its new EH-DM2 projector will be to their liking. This one's a 3LCD projector, and boasts an "HD compatible" resolution and an adequate 1,200 lumens of brightness, along with a few non-standard features like a USB port to let you view photos, DiVX compatibility from the built-in DVD player and, of course, those built-in 8W speakers that somehow promise to surround you with sound. Not exactly for everyone, to be sure, but the €600 price tag (or just under $900) is certainly reasonable enough, and it'll apparently be available as soon as next month.
Still not satisfied by any of the Blu-ray home theater in a box systems out there? Then perhaps Sony's just announced Bravia BDV-IT1000 unit will be more to your liking. This one boasts 700W of total power, and includes some wireless rear speakers for added convenience, and slim speakers all around that Sony says are made possible thanks to its brand new finger-sized full-range speaker drive units. The Blu-ray player / receiver at the heart of the unit also looks to be capable enough, with it sporting BD-Live readiness, a pair of HDMI inputs, optical digital and analog stereo audio inputs, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD support, and Sony's trademark Digital Media Port to accommodate a range of add-on devices. No word on a price or release just yet, but we're guessing there's at least a decent chance that'll slip out before Sony packs up and leaves the IFA stage.
We have to admit, that headline makes us a little bit giddy, and Sony seems to be betting there's enough folks giddy enough to throw down their credit card to snag its new high-end SACD player, which has just made its debut in Japan. In addition to making a bold statement of non-conformity in your A/V rack, the SCD-XA5400ES is particularly notable for its inclusion of an HDMI output, which nicely complements the usual digital optical, coax, and analog audio options. According to Sony, you can also expect nearly zero distortion from the twin R-core transformer and D/A system, which is independent from the general processing chipset. What's more, unlike many such product announcements, while this one made its debut in Japan, it's already available for pre-order from at least one US retailer (JR.com), although there's no promised release date just yet (it lands in Japan in October).
Rumors of Samsung's BD-Live-ready BD-P2500 Blu-ray player first started cropping up a few months ago, and the strikingly similar BD-P2550 just slipped out at Best Buy a few days ago, but if you like your Blu-ray news all official like, you'll be glad to know that Samsung has now finally actually talking about the player, and it's set to show it off at the big IFA show later this week. In addition to BD-Live support (which will apparently come in a future update), Samsung also confirms that the player packs the always-desirable Silicon Optix HQV video processing chip, and support for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD in addition to the usual non-HD formats. No firm word on a price just yet, but you can look for the official launch to happen in September. If that Best Buy slip is any indication, however, it seems likely that they could start showing up even sooner than that.
Blu-ray and VHS together at last -- so crazy it just might work? Probably not, but if you're still clinging to a library of tapes and haven't been able to bring yourself to upgrade or transfer them to a more 21st century-friendly format, you'll no doubt be happy to know that Panasonic has now introduced the combo player of your dreams -- in Japan, at least. For maximum combo-ness, the DMR-BR30V also boasts a 320GB hard drive to boost your recording options, along with both digital and analog TV tuners, a USB port, and an SD card slot. For those ready to make a clean break with their past, Panasonic also has three VHS-less models with hard drives of various sizes, each of which are also apparently exclusive to Japan for now. Just don't expect any of them to come cheap, as the DMR-BR360V leads the way with a price tag of ¥160,000, or just about $1,500.
